Declassified files: Neil Lennon support from unionist politician amongst records released
The latest batch of de-classified files have been released from the Public Records office.
Most of the files relate to the early years of power sharing in Northern Ireland from 2002 and 2000.
Among the documents they revealed a number of administrative arrangements being made to deal with the suspension of the nine-week-old Executive.
From the Ulster Orchestra raising concerns with the UK Government over the financial implications of a ban on tobacco advertising in 1997 to the difficulty removing surplus school places, to Neil Lennon being supported by a unionist politician after facing sectarian abuse at the hands of supporters, while playing for Northern Ireland at Windsor Park.
The more than 700 records being released on Thursday shine at light on the activities of many in the public sector, entertainment and sport.
Minister said ‘no hiding place’ for those who threatened Celtic star Lennon.
A unionist minister wrote directly to Celtic star Neil Lennon in 2002 after he had received a death threat hours ahead of playing for Northern Ireland, telling him there “must be no hiding place” for those responsible.The letter from then Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) minister Michael McGimpsey said Lennon had “displayed remarkable courage” after he had been jeered by fans at Windsor Park the previous year.
The correspondence is contained in a DCAL file called “Sectarianism in Sport” which is among newly released documents at the Public Record Office in Belfast.The file also contains a minute of an official meeting where it was suggested Windsor Park did not “create the atmosphere of a neutral venue for major international matches” suggesting this could be resolved by the provision of a new national stadium.Celtic player Lennon was chosen by then Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy to captain the side in a friendly against Cyprus at Windsor Park in 2002.A death threat was phoned in to the BBC in the hours leading up to the game, leading to Lennon not taking to the field that night and, ultimately, deciding not to play international football again.The previous year Lennon had been booed by elements in the crowd at Windsor Park when playing for Northern Ireland.Mr McGimpsey sent his letter to Lennon at Celtic Football Club on September 4 2002.He said: “I have just returned to my office today but during my absence, I followed closely the events in Northern Ireland which surrounded your decision to retire from international football.“When I first heard the news that someone should make such a threat against a sportsman, I was absolutely appalled.“Just as there is no place in society for anyone who threatens the life on an individual, neither is there a place in sport who single out a player for abuse because of his religion or the club he plays for.“I condemn totally the actions of those who do so and have already called on anyone with any knowledge of the source of the threat against you to pass the information on to the police immediately.“There must be no hiding place for these people.”Mr McGimpsey added: “Last year you displayed remarkable courage when you decided to continue playing for Northern Ireland after that disgraceful episode at Windsor Park and, after this latest outrage, I respect and fully appreciate your reasons for now deciding to bow out of international football.“Most people in the position in which you have found yourself that day would have done the same.“Captaining your country for the first time would have been a very proud and memorable occasion for you and an honour which would have been fully merited.”Mr McGimpsey said the door remained open for Lennon to return to international football.The file also contains minutes of a meeting held on September 10 1999 to discuss sectarian chanting which had marred a football match between Northern Ireland and France at Windsor Park.The meeting was attended by civil servants as well as representatives of the Irish Football Association (IFA) and Belfast City Council.The minute states “sectarian chanting blighted what otherwise would have been an enjoyable sporting event”.It adds: “It is a major problem indulged in by the vast majority of fans in the West Stand, particularly those visiting from a distance (eg Limavady Supporters Club).“On a more positive note, some of the local Supporters Clubs (eg Shankill) are now wishing to disassociate themselves from this type of behaviour.“The IFA is anxious to resolve this issue but see it as being more symptomatic of Northern Ireland in general rather than of football in particular.“However, it was recognised that the location of Windsor Park in an area where loyalist flags and emblems were displayed in abundance did not create the atmosphere of a neutral venue for major international matches and that this could be resolved by the provision of a National Stadium for Northern Ireland.”
Alderdice sought advice on going to Washington DC during Stormont suspension.
Former Stormont speaker Lord John Alderdice wrote to Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson in 2000 seeking advice on whether he should attend St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US at a time when the powersharing institutions had been suspended.Declassified files at the Public Record Office in Belfast reveal administrative arrangements being made to deal with the suspension of the nine-week-old Executive.
In December 1999 Stormont’s first generation of devolved ministers had taken up their posts as the new Executive met for the first time.However, just weeks later, in February 2000, Lord Mandelson reimposed direct rule because of the lack of progress on IRA decommissioning.During the period when the institutions were collapsed the files reveal concerns about morale among Assembly staff.The file includes the letter sent from Lord Alderdice to Mr Mandelson on March 1, in which he said he had been invited to take part in the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Washington DC.He wrote: “My invitation to these events are all in my capacity as Speaker.“As you are now responsible for the Assembly during the period of suspension, I would be grateful if you would advise me as to your view on whether I should go ahead with the visit or simply tender my regrets.“On a related note, I have asked your private office to make an arrangement for us to meet in order that we can clarify my role during the period of suspension.“I hope that it might be possible to have this meeting at some point next week.”There is no reply from Mr Mandelson to the letter included in the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission file.It does contain guidance on working arrangements for Stormont departments during the period of suspension. This includes a document with a number of proposed staffing scenarios relating to how quickly the devolved institutions could be revived.It said that, in order to be able to restart the Assembly within one to two days of any announcement from the Secretary of State, “current levels of staffing and service to members and public to be retained”.It said spare capacity among staff during suspension could be utilised through a number of measures including staff training and development and “education and awareness seminars”.The document says: “Retaining the current levels of staff will ensure minimum delay if urgent start-up of the Assembly was required.“Staff morale will be improved through measures to ensure staff are fully occupied, through for example attachments, training and development, engaged on departmental work, etc.”The file also contains a Civil Service memo sent from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission ahead of a meeting between the Speaker and the Secretary of State during the suspension.It says: “If the meeting is to go ahead on 5 May we should brief the Secretary of State, Gerry Cosgrove should, in parallel, brief Lord Alderdice, on the basis of the current arrangements for the Assembly should remain in place pending future political developments, with a pragmatic approach being taken to dealing with Assembly staff who are unoccupied during suspension.“This could be done on the basis that those staff would remain in their posts in the Assembly, but might undertake work for their parent departments as appropriate.“This would require that the Assembly could return to full operation immediately in the event of restoration.”Devolution was restored in May 2000 after the IRA pledged to put its weapons beyond use.
Orchestra chief raised concerns over financial implications of tobacco ban.
The Ulster Orchestra raised concerns with the UK Government over the financial implications of a ban on tobacco advertising in 1997, newly released files have revealed.Michael Henson, then the orchestra’s chief executive, wrote to Westminster ministers seeking clarification about the proposed ban and stating that any ensuing lost revenue could not be replaced by other commercial sponsorship.Then-Health Secretary Frank Dobson announced that the Labour Government was to ban tobacco advertising shortly after coming to power.While most attention focused on the sponsorship of sporting events, Mr Henson wrote to then-Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Chris Smith about the arts.He said: “The Ulster Orchestra has written to the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Frank Dobson MP in relation to the Government’s recently stated intention to progress legislation to ban all advertising and sponsorship by tobacco companies.“The orchestra is also writing to you to make you aware that we have sent this letter and to seek clarification from your department on this matter as well.“As you may be aware, Gallaher Limited has substantially supported the Ulster Orchestra since 1980 and is in fact credited as one of our funding bodies, in partnership with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the BBC and Belfast City Council.“Gallaher was in fact a crucial financial partner in establishing the orchestra’s independence from the Arts Council in 1980.”The letter said the tobacco firm had contributed more than £1 million in sponsorship to the orchestra since 1980.He added: “Gallaher’s sponsorship represents 35% of our entire sponsorship budget.“This sponsorship allows strategic long-term planning of a whole series of innovative and creative projects.“The sponsorship from Gallaher plays a crucial part in the financing of the orchestra and various innovative projects, and we believe it would be impossible in the Northern Ireland context to replace this amount of money by other commercial sponsorship, if a ban on arts sponsorship from tobacco companies were implemented.“I would therefore be most grateful if you could clarify the position as to the Government’s intention to ban all sponsorship.”The file includes a response to the letter from Tony Worthington, then-minister with responsibility for health and the arts in Northern Ireland.He said: “The Government is fully committed to a ban on tobacco advertising and will therefore have to examine all the areas where advertising takes place, including the arts.“The Government is, of course, sensitive to the concerns of the arts and the complex issues raised by the proposed ban.”
Ministers were told of difficulty removing surplus school places, records show.
The “sectoral nature” of education in Northern Ireland made it difficult to remove surplus school places in Northern Ireland, ministers were advised in 2002.
A first day brief drawn up by the Department of Education said there 35,800 surplus places in schools in 2001.
The file is one of more than 700 which has been released by the Public Record Office in Belfast.
The document, The Education Service in Northern Ireland, runs to more than 80 pages.
It stated: “During the 2000-2001 school year there were some 35,800 surplus places in schools in Northern Ireland – just over 23,600 places in the primary sector and 12,200 in the secondary sector.
“The figure represents an increase from 1999-00 when the equivalent figure was 34,400 places.”
The report said the bulk of the surplus places were in larger schools.
It adds: “The sectoral nature of the Northern Ireland education system makes action to remove surplus places difficult as it is necessary to retain schools of different types in areas to ensure equity of access.
“In addition, a significant proportion of the surplus places cannot sensibly be removed from the system – in most cases it is not practical to dispose of unused classrooms in an otherwise viable school.”
It goes on to say there were 340 primary schools in Northern Ireland with less than 100 pupils and 23 post-primary schools (14%) with less than 300 pupils.
The report adds: “The corresponding figures for GB are much lower, ie 18% of primary schools and 4% of post-primary schools.
“The rural nature of Northern Ireland and the structure of education here means that there will always be a significant number of small schools.”
UK Government planned emergency legislation over NI sale of morning after pill.
The UK Government made plans in 2002 to extend emergency legislation to Northern Ireland to allow women to have continued access to emergency contraception following a legal challenge to the sale of the morning after pill.Then Stormont Health Minister Bairbre De Brun lobbied for the move by Westminster, but said it would potentially “result in public debate with a great deal of emotive language coming from those on both sides”.Ms De Brun had signed an order in 2000 introducing the sale of the morning after pill over the counter at pharmacies without prescription in Northern Ireland for women over the age of 16, following a similar move at Westminster.However, a High Court bid was launched in England to halt its sale with campaigners claiming the morning after pill was a form of abortion, and should be subject to legislation governing abortion.A draft letter from Ms De Brun to then Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid on March 6 2002 is contained in newly released files at the Public Record Office in Belfast.In the letter, Ms De Brun says: “I understand that you have already been advised in some detail about the potential need to extend here the provisions of an Emergency Bill that may have to be introduced at Westminster in the very near future in the event that the Department of Health (DoH) loses a judicial review brought by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Child (SPUC).“The review was heard in London on 12, 13 and 14th February and I understand that the judgement is expected around Easter.“Following the hearing, DoH remains confident of winning the case but the implications are so serious that it has devoted considerable time and energy to preparing a robust contingency plan.“These implications, ie loss of access to emergency contraception, at least, will apply here should the case be lost.“I am committed to ensuring that women here have the same degree of access to emergency contraception, which they have enjoyed for many years.“I have, therefore, no option but to seek to ensure that similar contingency arrangements are put in place.”Ms De Brun added: “The judicial review seeks to quash the Order laid in December 2000, and signed jointly by Yvette Cooper and me, which allowed emergency contraception to be sold over the counter in pharmacies, on certain conditions.“The case bought by SPUC is that emergency contraception is a method of abortion, and therefore anyone who administers or supplies it is committing a criminal offence under the Offences Against the Person (OAP) Act 1861.”She added: “As part of its contingency plans DOH is proposing that an amendment would need to be made to the OAP Act to define a ‘miscarriage’ as only taking place post-implantation.“This is to make clear that it will not be a criminal offence to supply or administer emergency or other contraception, which has the effect of preventing implantation.“This emergency legislation, if passed, would re-establish the position upheld by previous administrations in England and generally accepted here.“My purpose in writing is, therefore, to ask you to take the appropriate steps to ensure, if necessary, that the provisions of the Emergency Bill which may be brought forward by DOH extend here.”She added: “The 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to this part of the world and any suggestion of tampering with the law governing abortion here ie the OAP Act, will result in public debate with a great deal of emotive language coming from those on both sides.“While the amendment being proposed will not actually change the law on abortion in any practical and meaningful way, you can expect that there will be those who will wish to muddy the waters.“There is really therefore no alternative to extending the Emergency Bill here, if indeed it becomes necessary for DOH to seek to have it passed at Westminster.”The following week Mr Reid wrote to Stormont’s First Minister David Trimble and deputy First Minister Mark Durkan on the issue.He said: “Abortion and contraception are especially sensitive and delicate subjects in Northern Ireland.“In relation to abortion, my predecessors and I have made it clear that the Government would not impose any change in the law in Northern Ireland, and that any change to the law on abortion could only come about with the broad support from a cross-section of the people in Northern Ireland.“I do not, however, regard the emergency Bill as being about abortion, so much as contraception.”He added: “Against all this background, I believe there is no practical alternative for Northern Ireland but to join in the planned Bill by having it extend to Northern Ireland.”A joint response from Trimble and Durkan to Mr Reid said they would support his proposed action.On April 18 2002 a High Court judge rejected the SPUC legal challenge.
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